Day 11: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sunrise at Medano Creek
I spent 16 hours at Great Sand Dunes National Park on Friday, September 23, 2022. While it wasn’t the evening of the new moon, the moon was only 5.9% full, still providing an excellent opportunity to observe the Milky Way in all its splendor.
I arrived at the park around 6am, just in time to set up my camera and tripod to capture the soft glow of first light (6:21 a.m.) and the sunrise (6:51 a.m.) from Medano Creek, a wide creek that flows at the base of the dunes. From that spot, I watched the sun rise over the dunes, its light gradually illuminating the rippling sand. Although the heavy rainstorm from the previous day wasn’t fun to drive through, it did increase the creek’s flow, which was really cool to see!
High Dune Trail
Around 8am, I began the hike to High Dune, pausing often to take photos along the way. High Dune is one of the park’s most popular destinations, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire dunefield. Since there are no designated trails, I followed my own path and reached the summit around noon. To celebrate, I sat down to enjoy a Clif Bar, but didn’t stay long, as the wind picked up, blowing sand in my face. With afternoon winds and surface temperatures reaching 150°F, it’s best to hike in the early morning or evening.
Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass Trail
After about seven hours exploring the dunes, I decided to switch things up by immersing myself in the surrounding forests of aspen, pine, fir, and spruce by hiking the Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass Trail. The trailhead for both trails is located in a parking area just north of Visitor Center parking. If the lot is full, the trailhead is a short, easy walk from the north end of the parking lot for the Visitor Center.
The Montville Nature Trail is a pleasant 0.5-mile hike named after a late-1800s settlement that once had about 20 houses. The Mosca Pass Trail continues from there, following Mosca Creek and climbing steadily through the forest along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. While the full trail is a 7-mile round trip, I opted to turn around after 1.5 miles, making it a 3-mile hike overall. The trails provided the perfect escape from the heat of the dunes.
Sunset at Medano Creek
Next, I drove to the Piñon Flats Campground for a different perspective of the park, relaxed for a bit at the Visitor Center, and then at the picnic area near the Dunes parking lot until about 6pm. As sunset approached, I returned to the Medano Creek area with my camera and tripod to photograph the sunset over the dunes (6:58 p.m.).
Evening Ranger Program
After reveling in the beauty of the sunset, I headed to the park’s outdoor amphitheater for the evening Ranger Program, which began at dusk and lasted about 30 minutes. It was the perfect way to pass the time as I eagerly awaited the Galactic Center of Visibility (Milky Way Core), which would be visible from 8:23pm to 10:54pm.
Milky Way from Medano Creek
Following the program, I returned to the Dunes parking lot to photograph the Milky Way from the Medano Creek area. It was a breathtaking sight to see! I was so incredibly grateful for the clear skies that night, especially since my entire two-week trip had been planned around seeing the Milky Way at Great Sand Dunes. I left the park around 10pm and arrived back at my hotel about 45 minutes later. After showering and changing, I finally headed to bed for some well-deserved rest.
